Cajuns Defense Solid but Appalachian State’s Better in Road Loss

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns traveled to Boone, North Carolina to take on the Mountaineers of Appalachian State for a Sun Belt Conference tilt. They came up short in a valiant effort 27-17.

This game started out like a heavyweight fight as both the Cajuns and the Mountaineers seemed to be feeling each other out for most of the first quarter. Louisiana would make the first big play in this game with a stand on 4th and 3 just outside their red zone and got the ball on a turnover on downs.

However, that good feeling wouldn't last long as App State was simulating the snap count on center Cole Prudhomme, it wasn't called and the play resulted in a fumble and a turnover. The Mountaineers would capitalize on it with a score by Darrynton Evans from two yards out.

The Cajuns would get right back into the game at the end of the first quarter as Levi Lewis came in at quarterback. The change was a good one as he was able to engineer a scoring drive that saw him hit a wide open Elijah Mitchell for a 20-yard score to knot things up at seven.

The first half would end with another touchdown for App State after they and the Cajuns traded field goals to go into the half 17-10 Mountaineers.

After half Appalachian State would receive the opening kick and make the most of it as Marcus Williams Jr was able to scamper into the end zone to increase the lead 23-10.

The rest of the third quarter was pretty noneventful and we played into the fourth as the Cajuns were threatening. They got down to the Mountaineer 12-yard line and UL would be faced with a key fourth and two but Elijah Mitchell would be stuffed for no gain and they would turn the ball over on downs.

They'd get the ball back one more time with a real chance to make something happen, only they'd have to go 99 yards to get back into it. They picked up one first down and that was all she wrote for Louisiana.

Appalachian State would tack on a late field goal and UL would add a Ragas touchdown run late to break the Mountaineers streak of not allowing a team to score a point in the second half since the first game of the season. The game would end in a 27-17 App State victory.

With the loss, the Cajuns fall to 3-4 overall and 1-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. The team has a pivotal matchup with Arkansas State at Cajun Field next Saturday at 6 pm.

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